Fired Police Chief Awarded $385,000

April 12, 1986|By Maria Goodavage, Staff Writer

MIAMI — Clifford Pittard`s large fist couldn`t wipe away his tears fast enough when a federal jury awarded him $385,000 for damages done when he was hastily fired as police chief of Royal Palm Beach in 1982.

The jury of three men and five women reached the verdict on Friday after deliberating nine hours over two days.

As Pittard hailed the verdict, a move began in Royal Palm Beach to recall Mayor Sam Lamstein, who fired the police chief.

``I`m glad my name was cleared. That was the object of the whole thing,`` said Pittard, 57, who was an officer with the Miami Police Department for 19 years before before becoming police chief.

Pittard said the money is important because he hasn`t been able to find a ``decent`` job in police work since Lamstein fired him without complying with his requests for a public hearing.

``The mayor did real horrible things. He ruined a man`s life, his career and his family,`` said Pam Wynn, an associate lawyer for Pittard. ``We`re very happy with the verdict.``

The $385,000 was $50,000 more than Pittard requested in his suit. Of that amount, Lamstein must pay $125,000. The remainder is to be paid by the village, Lamstein and former council member Marge Mason.

An assistant to defense lawyer John Wilbur said she did not think Wilbur will decide whether he will appeal the case until next week.

During the weeklong trial in a federal district court in Miami, Pittard`s lawyer Jeffrey Pheterson argued that the mayor took a strong dislike to Pittard when he refused to run a criminal-records computer check on Lamstein`s political opponent.

Pheterson showed his client pitted against a ``team`` of four new conspiring council members who were trying to get rid of old blood and implement their own ``regime.``

Pheterson said Pittard was defamed when the mayor didn`t give him a public hearing. He said the mayor, by creating a cloud of secrecy, implied that Pittard had committed a felony.

But Wilbur said the mayor was trying to protect the village from a lawsuit by not explaining the charges against Pittard. He said the mayor received a letter from Pittard`s lawyer threatening suit if he discussed the charges at a public hearing.

Village resident Max Himmelbaum said he is going to head a campaign to recall Lamstein.